Curtis Compton/AJC
Former Georgia Bulldogs Isaiah Wynn (left) and Roquan Smith (right) could be drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Could 2 Georgia Bulldogs go in first round of NFL draft?

Posted 1 year ago

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Double Dawgs in the first round?

Only one Georgia Bulldogs player was drafted in the entirety of the 2017 NFL draft, the program’s lowest draft output since 1982. The Dawgs will not have a repeat showing in the 2018 draft, as this could be the deepest crop of prospects to ever come out of Athens.

But could the Bulldogs go from one player picked in 2017 to two players picked in the first round of 2018? According to an increasing number of NFL draft experts, the answer is yes.

On Tuesday, NFL.com updated its three 2018 mock drafts, and two of those drafts had linebacker Roquan Smith and tackle Isaiah Wynn slated as first-round picks. Daniel Jeremiah has Smith to the Raiders at No. 9 and Wynn to the Rams at No. 23. Lance Zierlin also has Smith to the Raiders at No. 9 and has Wynn going at No. 26 to the Falcons, a thought that will thrill the many who hold dual allegiances to the Bulldogs and Falcons. Bucky Brooks only has Smith going at No. 27 to the Saints.

Smith was a lock for the first round before he ever declared for the draft, but Wynn has only come on as a potential top pick in the wake of a stellar performance at the Senior Bowl. After working on the interior line for most of his college career, Wynn switched to left tackle as a senior, transforming from a serviceable lineman to one of the best in the SEC in the process. With what he learned in his season at tackle, some believe he can be one of the best in the NFL when he makes the switch back to the interior.

“Wynn was an undersized offensive tackle at Georgia, but I believe he has Pro Bowl potential as an interior offensive lineman,” Jeremiah wrote.

The last time Georgia had two players selected in the first round was 2013, when Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree were picked by the Steelers and Rams, respectively.

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Georgia hoops snaps its losing streak

Georgia hoops secured a much-needed victory Tuesday night, beating the No. 23 Florida Gators 72-60 at Stegeman Coliseum. The win breaks a three-game losing streak for the Bulldogs and gives them a 13-8 record on the season, 4-5 in the SEC.

Yante Maten led Georgia in scoring, as usual, with 20 points to go with 7 rebounds. Turtle Jackson added 16 points, while Juwan Parker added 12. Tyree Crump scored 6 points coming on a pair of first-half 3-pointers that started a 12-2 run.

One of the most important players in the game was Nicolas Claxton, who did a bit of everything. Coming off the bench, the freshman grabbed 8 rebounds, blocked 3 shots, nailed a 3-pointer and scored on a layup to give the Dawgs a second-half lead.

BTW, Quavo approves.

UGA BASKETBALL GREAT WIN OVER FLA #GODAWGS

— QuavoYRN (@QuavoStuntin) January 31, 2018

Next up for Georgia is a showdown at Mississippi State this Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.

UGAAA raises football ticket prices

As expected, the UGA Athletic Association board approved a hike in football ticket prices at a meeting Tuesday. A two-tier system for home football tickets will be implemented immediately. Seth Emerson of DawgNation has more details.

The new prices will be on a two-tiered basis: $75 for each game against a Power 5 team, and $55 for games against other teams. Last year the cost was $50 per every game.

That makes the season ticket price for this year $465, up from $300. Neither figure includes the donations to the Hartman Fund, which are required for the right to buy season tickets. Donation levels are not being altered this year.

Athletics director Greg McGarity cited increased salaries for the football staff, among other reasons, for raising prices.

“We plan to make substantial adjustments to the compensation of our coaching staff,” McGarity told the UGA Athletic Board on Tuesday.

Recapping the top 10 moments of the 2017 season

Chip Towers of DawgNation wrapped up his series looking at the top 10 moments of the 2017 Georgia football season on Tuesday. Here are links to each post of the series if you want to check the whole thing out. (You can compare this list to my top 10 moments of the season here.)

No. 10 — The flea-flicker vs. Mississippi State
No. 9 — Tyrique McGhee’s opening interception vs. Tennessee
No. 8 — Javon Wims’ circus catches vs. Georgia Tech
No. 7 — J.R. Reed’s scoop-and-score vs. Florida
No. 6 — Jake Fromm subs in for an injured Jacob Eason
No. 5 — Rodrigo Blankenship’s 55-yarder in the Rose Bowl
No. 4 — The National Championship Game
No. 3 — Ending the “Revenge Tour” with a win in the SEC Championship Game
No. 2 — The Sea of Red at Notre Dame
No. 1 — Lorenzo Carter’s field goal block in the Rose Bowl

Dawgs on Twitter

Bowl gift delivery szn! 🎁#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/6sNvLtXEXU

— Georgia Football (@FootballUGA) January 31, 2018

Among the UGA football players who made a 3.5 GPA or better last semester: Mecole Hardman, Jeb Blazevich, Reggie Carter, Michael Chigbu, Charlie Woerner, Jackson Harris, Robert Beal, Cam Nizialek and … Jacob Eason. https://t.co/Pm6Pv1a71m

— Seth Emerson (@SethWEmerson) January 30, 2018

The @SEC announced it’s national television schedule Tuesday. The Dawgs will have nine games broadcast on @ESPNU and the @SECNetwork in 2018!

📰 https://t.co/1jhQOeOmsy

— Georgia Softball (@UGASoftball) January 30, 2018